Contact information

Rosselkhoznadzor / News

Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance

The Rosselkhoznadzor is concerned about extremely grave deficiencies in animal safety ensuring during transportation by the US Veterinary Service

By now the American party submitted no
response to three recent Rosselkhoznadzor’s appeals concerning safety of
animals supplied to Russia
by sea. Moreover, the issue of cattle exportation from the USA remains
extremely burning. For example, out of 3314 animals arrived on board of “PEARL
OF PARA” vessel 59 animals died during transportation from Novorossiysk to the
farms of destination, 160 animals died during quarantine period on the farms of
destination, 180 animals were emergently slaughtered and 665 animals are
planned for emergency slaughter due to extreme cachexia. Therefore the Russian
consignees in fact short-received over 1000 breeding cattle.

The Rosselkhoznadzor requests the US
veterinary service to submit exhaustive information concerning death of 178
animals on board of “PEARL OF PARA” during transportation to Russia, i.e. data
on when, where and why animals died, who and how identified causes of death as
well as data on post-mortem examination and laboratory test results. In
addition, the Rosselkhoznadzor requests the US Veterinary Service to inform
about location and state of 195 animals, which could not be unloaded from the
vessel and which were returned to the USA by the same vessel. It is worth
mentioning that the Russian consignees several times applied to the
Rosselkhoznadzor by reason of other violations identified during supplies of
live breeding animals from the USA by vessels non-equipped for these purposes
and in reconstructed shipping containers that resulted in death of animals,
their injuries and production loss and hence to significant financial loss
incurred by the Russian consignees. All that is indicative of the US
incompliance with the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the Office
International des Epizootics (OIE), chapter 7.2 “Transport of animals by sea”
as well as with appropriate WTO rules and regulations. The Rosselkhoznadzor considers
that current situation requires urgent consultations with the US Veterinary
Service (APHIS), which were mentioned in the message of the Rosselkhoznadzor as
of August this year. According to the Rosselkhoznadzor’s consideration a list
of measures aimed at increase of control of animal transportation by sea,
certification of vessels supposed for animal transportation to Russia by joint
commission of the Rosselkhoznadzor and APHIS experts; veterinary control of the
breeding animal delivery to the port of destination by the US official
veterinarian.

In case of non-constructive attitude of the US
Competent Authorities the Rosselkhoznadzor will have to impose temporary
restrictions on importation of breeding cattle from the USA by sea.